Saving a terrified soul
by mortal-paralight
Summary: Bella's been chased by vampires ever since her father was murdered. But what happens when she is found by a young werewolf in the woods? Will he be able to save her terrified soul from the nightmares along with saving her from the revenge seeking vampire?
1. Preface

**Alright everyone, here's the preface to the new Bella/Jacob story. I hope it's to everyone's satisfaction and it will be something worth reading, don't worry about that. So the summary for this story is basically the following:**

**Bella has been chased by vampires ever since her father was murdered. But what happens when she is found by a young werewolf in the woods? Will he be able to save her terrified soul from the nightmares along with saving her from the rampaging vampires?**

**Alright so please READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Preface

A tug at my heart, that's what I felt. It was the only feeling my body could process. Brown eyes, hair the color of tree bark, a smile and laugh that could make me fall weakly to my knees; those are the things that heaved at my stubborn and childish heart.

My heart might have been empty and lonely but now, it has found its match, its other half. The other half might be frightened and beaten but it could easily be healed.

I knew that my attraction to her might have been wrong but she needed help, which was the reason why I was there. The comfort she needed, my heart could easily transfer it into her own.

But… would all the help I'd bring her help that terrified soul of this beautiful goddess? If so, then I would be the one to help her. She could learn to trust me. And I would be there for her whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on. Her beautiful brown eyes would not have to suffer alone.

She should not have to suffer alone.

**Alright everyone, please tell me what you think of this preface. I know it's not much but I am just finishing the chapter and epilogue to **_**Reattaching a broken heart**_** and this story will be well on its way. So please REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**


	2. Running

**Alright everyone, here's the next chapter to this story. Hope you guys like it. It was sure hard to write… sorta. Now, READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 1

Running

**Bella's Point of View**

Fear overpowered everything. My legs kept running faster than ever but it never seemed to be enough. Running on a broken leg didn't help my situation either but I had to try something. In this blazing sunlight that shone through the trees, they could easily be spotted. That was the misfortune of their kind. Sunlight meant day and during the day, I could see the path in front of me and prevent any further accidents.

They kept coming, walking at a pace so slow it made my injured running body seem like a cheetah. They sometimes cooed things like '_Come out; come out, wherever you are!_'or '_Come out my pretty. You can't hide forever,_' from behind me. I knew they were far away but the strength of their voices; it all just seemed so close. How far would they go to see me dead? "You can't hide forever!" One of the men responded normally. Because they weren't human, none of them needed to scream. They knew that the weak human would hear them.

While running, my breathing became laboured and my side started to hurt. I couldn't run much farther. Unfortunately, my legs decided to speak for themselves. A tree branch stood in the way and, with my clumsiness and bad luck, my uninjured leg tripped over it, causing me to fall face first. My right leg fell right onto the log, making me scream out in pain. The pain was just unbearable and the screams escaped my mouth without my intention.

"Guys, she's over here!" A man said from close behind me. Lifting myself up while ignoring the throbbing intense pain in my leg, I tried to run again, to escape them. But I didn't go far. My foot caught in some long roots and I stumbled over once more, but this time my head fell on a large rock. Then, everything went black.

**Jacob's Point of View**

Ugh… Waking up was the worst thing. It just meant another morning to look at the others' imprinting; Paul just staring at my sister—worst thing imaginable if you ask me—Jared looking at Kim and Sam with Emily. And then another horrible thing about mornings; it just meant that I had to go patrol with the others. Great… Couldn't I just stay in bed today?

Hmm… That's not a bad idea.

Lying back on my pillow, my eyes closed and a smile crept on my face. Sleeping in was a nice feeling. "Jake, time to get up!" My smile was erased immediately. Why did my father have to be so loyal to Sam? Groaning, I swung my legs out of bed and rubbed my tired eyes. You know, if I didn't have to do this whole wolf thing, it might actually be _fun_ to get out of bed in the morning. "Jake, you need to get up," My father answered calmly as he wheeled himself into the room. He stopped when his eyes spotted me awake. "Oh, I see you're awake."

"Really? What gave it away?" I asked sarcastically while getting up, walking past my father and going to the kitchen to get some breakfast. Although that plan was ruined the moment my eyes spotted a large boy with short black hair, no shirt and short jeans looking at me with a grin.

"Jeez. No wonder we're always waiting for you," The boy mocked.

"Oh shut up Paul. What are you doing here anyways?"

"Waiting for Rachel. She sure is early in the morning. I've been here for an hour."

"Well, as you see, she's not here so can you leave?" I asked rudely while walking up to him, a bowl of cereal in hand. There wasn't really a place to sit. Paul was taking up the whole couch! "Seriously, get out."

"Boys, behave." Billy cut in, wheeling himself to the kitchen with a disciplined look on his tanned face.

"I'm welcome here, you know. Billy was the one who let me in. He'd hoped that I would get to wake you up if you didn't do it yourself in the next two minutes." Paul replied with his usual grin.

"Awe, Dad! Why'd you have to do that?! Now he won't leave!" I whined at Billy but he didn't really seem to mind. Actually, he laughed.

"Sorry son. Can't help you there," Billy replied with a slight chuckle. Paul was just grinning mockingly and happily to this event. Man, that guy was really bugging the hell out of me this morning! Both of them were at this moment. As if I needed any of this…

"Whatever. I'll just skip breakfast. Your face already made me lose my appetite," I said, leaving the cereal on the table and walking out of the house.

"Not even a burn, dude," Paul joked as we walked into the forest. Once entered, I took off my clothes, tied them around my ankle and let the burning sensation in my back run though me, the wolf in me coming out and changing me into the russet wolf with black eyes.

_God you're grumpy this morning… _Paul thought as he transformed as well.

_You're getting on my last nerve,_ I warned while we ran to our normal meeting place. Transforming was getting easier and easier to do as time went by. One good thing came out of mornings. I could let the inner wolf take over and run freely.

_Jake, what's up with you this morning?_ And this was the bad turnout of being a werewolf.

_Yeah Jake, got up on the wrong side of the bed this afternoon? _Embry mocked as he followed closely behind Jared. Sam was the only one that didn't enter the conversation yet. Just because I wanted to sleep in doesn't mean they have to comment on how late it is. And frankly, saying that it was the afternoon was just a little over-the-top.

_Alright everyone, enough bickering. There's been a few sightings of vampires in Forks so everyone, go search in different directions. We'll all meet up here in a few hours. If anyone finds something, immediately say something, _Sam ordered and we all went our separate ways. After a few minutes, I got bored of looking around and finding nothing. Sitting down, my mind chose to talk to the other werewolves.

_Find anything?_

_Nothing yet,_ Jared's voice seemed discouraged.

_Nada,_ Embry responded flatly.

_This is getting us nowhere!_ Paul thought angrily. He surely didn't like to waste his time.

_Nothing on my end,_ Seth, the youngest of us, called in.

_Yeah, 'cause you're not looking hard enough,_ Leah, Seth's annoying older sister, butted in. That woman got on my nerves even more than Paul sometimes, and that was extremely hard to do.

_Jeez, when'd you two get here?_ I asked annoyed. What else could ruin this morning?!

_Not long ago. Mom told us to come and meet you guys so we tried to catch up with you, _Seth informed us. Shrugging, I let the conversation go. But something caught my attention. A loud scream could be heard from not far from where I stood. Turning my head in the direction of the scream, my mind went into armed mode. _Jake, what's up?_

_I don't know. It sounded like a woman screaming. I'm going to go check it out, _I mentioned before running in the direction of the woman's scream. It sounded pained, like something was coming for her. Something dark… Running faster and faster, soon a strong scent filled my nostrils. Human scent mixed with blood, and a lot of it. Then, the human scent was switched with a disgusting and repulsing one. I closed my eyes and scrunched my mussel.

Vampire.

Maybe this was the vampire that was surrounding Forks. Guess he or she had to be stopped. Technically, this was my lucky day. I hadn't sunk my teeth into some vampire's flesh in quite some time.

With that thought in mind, I ran faster towards the two scents. They were very close, probably a few meters apart. This was the perfect chance to get the human to safety and the vampire killed and thrown into a fire all at the same time. A large grin crept onto my furry face.

Once arriving at the scene of the kill, the ground shook when my paws stopped abruptly when I spotted the human.

It was a woman with fair mahogany long hair, matted onto her perfect bloody face. Her body was sprawled on the ground, her head resting on a large rock. Her chest lifted every single once in a while, showing that she was breathing with obvious difficulty. Her right leg was twisted in an unnatural position, obviously broken.

Once spotting her, some kind of… heat came into my body. Nothing like I've ever felt before. I could see strings, deadly strong silver strings attaching themselves at this woman. They were also linking to me. A snipping sensation came inside me. It was cutting up everything I loved for before, even if it was minimal. The love for my father and the pack was now gone and replaced with something else. It was another kind of love. And it was attached to this woman, whoever she was.

"Found you," A deep sickeningly male voice rang through my head, snapping me out of my astonishment.. Quickly turning my head back to the voice, I caught a man with deadly pale skin, blood-red eyes and an evil grin plastered on his disgusting face. He wore a black leather jacket and a white shirt under. His brown sweatpants were all dirty, covered with grass, dirt and some rusted blood. He didn't wear any shirts.

The man was bloodthirsty. His gaze did not leave the poor girl. Obviously, that vampire didn't see me or even smell me. I was pretty far away still. Walking the distance to the young girl, my eyes spotted something red glistening in the light. Blood, it was running freely down her forehead and onto the large rock. She had hit it, not purposefully but probably because she tripped. Well, that was my assumption on it. Oh, how beautiful she was. Her beautiful locks of brown hair covered most of her face but one thing was certain.

This vampire would not get to her!

A growl escaped my mouth and, without thinking, I was off the ground and my form leapt at the man, who was approaching the beaten girl rapidly. At the last moment, he turned his head and looked wide-eyed at me as my claws dug deep into his marble skin, as easy as running a knife in butter. The man just laughed at me as we fell to the ground, snapping at one another. "Leo! Aaron! Karrie! Marissa! Anyone, get the girl! She can't escape!" The man screamed as he pushed me off. Luckily, I could defend myself well against vampires.

_Guys, there's five. Be careful,_ I thought to the others, who were coming in my direction. They wouldn't get here in time. It was just up to me now. A snarl escaped my mouth as we stood in front of each other.

But the man just laughed at me.

"What are you going to do pup? Think you can hurt me?" He asked amusingly, the blood-red eyes gazing at me with sick amusement. What did he want with the girl? What importance was she to him? "Well, come and get me," He gamed. Oh, he was totally asking for it. Leaping at him, he crouched and leapt as well. We clashed into each other, a sound like thunder erupting when our bodies collided. A lot of snapping and clawing happened but in a matter of minutes, my fangs caught his arm and I immediately ripped it right out of its socket. The man screamed. Oh pure victory.

The man looked at his armless shoulder and his eyes showed shock. "Well, I guess the pup didn't get his claws cut. Guess I'm going to have to cut them off then," He mocked as he lunged at me once more. This time, I just let him come at me. Dodging him, my jaw gripped his stomach and, with one smooth turn of the head, he was thrown into a large oak tree, snapping it in half.

Poor tree…

Many yelps of laughter escaped my mouth as the vampire with holes in his stomach tried to lift himself up and brush the tree bark off of his leathery jacket. Oh poor him… He got some bark all over his jacket. "Oh, that's it mutt. You're going to get it," The man bellowed before leaping at me with rage in his red eyes. Looking at the girl on the ground, courage filled my lungs. This man should be killed for what he did to her. Snarling, the man tackled me and happily, my claws went into the man's chest and I tackled him to the floor, making him unable to get up. Perfect. Sinking my teeth into his neck, I ripped his head right off and moved to ripping his body to shreds.

Soon enough, the other wolves had arrived. _Sorry dude, the other vampires got away._ Seth thought sadly as he saw me tear the dude to shreds. Frankly, there wasn't much to him now. All that was left to do was a fire. Luckily, we all brought lighters with us in case we found something. 

_Yeah, way too fast to catch right now._ Jared thought embarrassed. He didn't like to be outrun by a group of bloodsuckers. I morphed back to my human form and quickly got dressed before lighting the vampire's remains to flames. It was a nice scene, watching the orange and red flames burn the bloodsucker to ashes. Looking over to the woman lying helplessly on the floor, I just remembered the events.

Oh god!

Running over to her, I turned her over gently and examined the damage to her frail body. She looked so weak and fragile, it just broke my overheated heart to see her like this. Her face had many cuts and bruises that revealed many things, such as her lack of food and water. But… even though I was attached to this woman in more ways than one, I didn't even know her. It wouldn't be right for me to look over her injuries. And besides, she probably didn't trust men at all.

"We should take her to Emily's. She'll be better if Emily takes a look at her." Sam admitted from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. Looking over at him, he was giving me a sympathetic look, like he knew what was happening to me. But…

The others had told me what had happened to them when they found their imprint. They started to feel a certain tug in their heart, making them feel like they needed to protect their imprint. But… was I…? Did I…?

Did I just imprint on this majestic woman?

I wanted nothing but to make sure this lovely lady was well taken care of. She should be in good care. "Yeah, let's get her to Emily's." Turning back to her, I placed my arms carefully under her back and the back of her knees before running towards Emily's house. Hopefully, she could help her.

**Alright so what did you think? Please tell me. I don't know if I'm doing this right. I've never done a Bella/Jacob story before. So please REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	3. Healing

**Alright people, since you seem to like this story, then I'm gonna bring a little… twist to it. And you'll see in this chapter what I mean:P I know, I'm a little evil but hey, I just hope there's not too much drama in this chapter. If so, then let me know and I'll change for the next chap. Ok, so READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!!**

Chapter 2

Healing

**Jacob's Point of View**

We all ran back to Emily's house in a rush. The feeble girl resting in my arms did not move or flinch since we left the forest. Was she still alive? Her faint heartbeat was the only thing that told me that she was alive. Arriving at Emily's doorstep, we didn't ring the doorbell. Technically, this was Sam's house as well. He was Emily's fiancé. As we entered the house, Emily's scarred face turned towards us and her expression turned from love and confusion to shock and horror. "Oh my god! What happened to her?" She prompted worriedly while approaching me and the injured girl.

"She needs help. A bloodsucker tried to get to her. Can you help her?" I asked sadly. Emily looked at me and nodded once. She always had a soft heart, always helping those who need it the most.

"Bring her into my guest bedroom down the hall. She'd be more comfortable on a decent bed," Emily answered but I was already gone by the time she finished talking, almost running into the guest room. The bedroom was quite large, especially for a guest bedroom. Plenty of room to move around, a large double bed up against the wall, a few dressers made entirely out of wood. This room was very elegant, especially considering the fact that this was only for guests. But now was not the time to admire the room. I turned towards the bed and placed the girl gently on the bed. Even though it was gentle, she winced in her uneasy sleep when her body was placed on the mattress.

_What happened to her?_ I thought sadly as the girl went back to her painful slumber. No one could hurt her again. I would make sure of that.

"Jacob, you were there. What happened?" Sam asked as everyone entered the room and circled the bed. Most of them looked at me but Emily was hovering above the girl, checking for any signs of serious injuries.

"Well, I was asking you guys if anyone found anything, then just as Seth and Leah started arguing _again_," I started, eyeing the two siblings, who bent their heads down in shame. It was surprising that Leah felt any sympathy for anyone besides herself. "I heard a woman screaming in the forest. So, not knowing what else to do so, I ran towards the scream and suddenly found her lying on the ground, bleeding for the forehead. And then the bloodsucker came in and tried to get to her but, hey, I got to him before he got to her." That last part was a little show-off but hey, they weren't the ones who got that vamp pissed off, which was pretty fun. A grin appeared on my face at the single thought. But it was soon erased when my eyes spotted the young woman on the bed once more.

"Will she be alright?" Seth asked, obviously worried for the girl. Seth was just like Emily. He was way too soft-hearted, exactly like Sam's fiancé. "She doesn't look too good."

Emily lifted her head from above the girl's frail body and tried to give a convincing smile to the young tanned boy. But it was only a fake smile. "She will need rest and some healing. Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment to help cure her broken bones. A doctor's going to have to come and help her," Emily explained as best as she could while going over to her love beside me.

"But there isn't a doctor for miles. She'd have to go to the hospital and exactly how are we going to explain _that_?" Paul asked obnoxiously. Sometimes, that man had no brains.

"There's always a way to sneak around the docs Paul. Think logically for once," I answered rudely and earned a punch in the arm for that last comment. It didn't hurt but man was it annoying me.

"But that wouldn't be right." Of course Sam had to intervene. "But… there might be a way to do this without sneaking around."

"Care to enlighten us boss?" Embry asked calmly. Since when did he start calling Sam 'boss'? Probably sucking up to him for no apparent reason.

"There is a doctor in Forks that could come and help her. He could—"

"But the doc's a bloodsucker!" I intervened angrily. If Sam thought of bringing a _bloodsucker_ to help her, after bloodsuckers tried to _kill_ her, then Sam had something wrong in between the head.

"Yeah Sam, I don't think it would be a good idea. I mean, she could be traumatized," Emily added calmly.

"Please… don't… hurt him…" A feeble young voice rasped out from in front of us. We all turned our heads in the direction of the plea and saw that the woman was trashing around, wincing in pain as she moved. Maybe some of her ribs were broken? "Please… DON'T!" She screamed and her back arched, telling us she was having a nightmare.

A horrible nightmare.

"Is she… alright?" Seth asked worriedly as the woman trashed. Emily kneeled beside her and placed a comforting hand on the female's pale and shaky one. But she didn't stop shaking and her trashing increased.

"Shh… you're alright dear. You're safe here," Emily whispered to the young woman and placed her other hand on the girl's arm. Suddenly, the woman's eyes opened to reveal two blazing brown fearful eyes staring at us. Emily jerked her hand back and placed it on her tanned chest, frightened by the girl's reaction to her touch. The girl with the dazzling brown eyes backed up into the headboard terrified and looked at us, ignoring the pounding pain in her sides and right leg. The poor woman must be terrified.

"Who… who are you people…?" The young woman's voice rang like bells in my ears. It was the most wonderful sound in the world. Her pale skin seemed so fragile. It had been through so much. Her eyes held pain, sorrow and terrible memories, I could tell. But… how? This past hour, it was pointless to try and understand this whole imprinting thing. But my heart told me that I _had_ to protect this woman. She needed help.

"We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help," Sam answered calmly, hands defensively placed in front of him, showing her that he wasn't here to harm her.

"That's… that's what they all say… Who are you?!" She screamed frighteningly. This woman obviously didn't trust anyone; technically, no one could blame her. After what she went through, it was hard for her to accept anyone.

"My name is Sam. And this is Jacob," Sam mentioned, sticking his hand out towards me, indicating to the young woman with gorgeous brown eyes who I was. "He was the one who saved you out there."

"You… you saved me…?" I nodded my head with a grin on my face. "T… Thank you." She mumbled with a slight smile. It shined in so many ways. Even though it was slight with minor meaning to it, my heart felt warmer when my eyes spotted that smile. God that woman was absolutely beautiful.

"No problem, me lady," I mused, bowing in front of her. She laughed at my stupidity. At least she knew what humour was. But as she laughed, she started whimpering in pain, the pain finally catching up with her. She clutched her sides in slight pain and bit her lip.

Emily had placed her hand on the girl's leg cautiously, offering some help if it was required. "Do you think we should call the doctor in Forks?" Sam's fiancé asked as she looked at her lover. Sam hesitated for a second before taking one step towards the cowering young woman. But as the girl saw the change in our positioning, she backed up into the headboard and almost smacked her head against the wall, which would probably leave her unconscious. Her head wound had stopped bleeding but it wasn't clean.

It would probably get infected anytime soon.

Sam stopped exactly when he saw the frightened expression on the woman's face. "As I said before, we're not here to harm you, er…?"

"B… Bella Swan…" Her voice held fright and distrust. She knew none of us and we were all crowding her. She must hate being in a crowded room. And we were bigger than any regular kids. No wonder she was scared of us! We must look like the Hulk to her!

"Well Bella, we are only here to protect you, not hurt you. You're safe here," Emily answered calmly with one of her loving smiles.

"Where am I…?"

"You're in my house dear. You're safe here. The boys will protect you against anything," Emily assured while looking at the pack with her happy smile. How many times could she change her expressions in the next minute? I'd have to bet with one of the guys on that…

"How can you be sure…? You… you don't know what you're up against…" She whispered sadly as her gaze went to the window. The sky had darkened, revealing that night was coming slowly but surely. Had it been so long since we found her?

"Oh, we're perfectly capable of handling ourselves," Jared intervened for the first time since Bella woke up. But he was playing it safe so far. No one knew if this girl even knew about our kind or even bloodsuckers but… if she was going to stick around for a bit, I'd find out.

Bella laid her head back against the wall and looked at the ceiling, like she was desperate for something. "Bella, would you like us to call a doctor for you?" Sam asked casually. Bella turned her head back towards him and looked distrustful once more. She bit her lip, closed her eyes and nodded sheepishly. Sam left the room and went towards the nearest phone in the kitchen.

It took a few minutes before the doc came over. We were all settled in the kitchen, munching on some large muffins as Emily stayed with Bella. I had suggested staying as well but the tanned woman kicked me out! But how would the goddess in bed react to this sudden reaction? I mean, the doc _was_ a bloodsucker. And Bella's been chased by bloodsuckers lately. She'd probably be frightened to see another vampire in the room.

When the golden-haired doc walked in the room, the disgusting scent came up my nostrils once more. That's twice today. So gross…

"Thanks for coming Dr. Cullen. We appreciate it," Sam said casually. There used to be a treaty between the Cullens and us but as we saw them as vegetarians and not human drinkers, then we decided to kill the treaty and leave peacefully between these bloodsuckers.

But they were the only ones we accepted.

"It's not a problem. Now, where's the patient?" The doc asked as he walked inside the kitchen. He'd been here a few times, tending to some of us when there'd been some vampire attacks in town, which wasn't too often.

"Right this way," Sam directed him to the guest room and we all followed like some lost puppies that needed a new home. Wow… puppies. I just made a funny! As we made our way to the door, Sam stood right beside the golden-haired doc. Sam placed an arm in front of the doc, signalling him to stop walking and listen. "Dr. Cullen, you have to be careful with this young girl. Vampires tried to get to her and she probably won't accept any help. You'll have to take it slowly," Sam informed sadly. The doc nodded and went for the doorknob. This is probably a bad idea… There could be a few drawbacks for having Dr. Cullen over here. Bella would probably be frightened to know that we're 'friends' with bloodsuckers.

We walked into the room and once Bella spotted the doc, her marvellous brown eyes opened wide and she shrunk back into the bed. She was frightened. And obviously the doc was making her uncomfortable, _very_ uncomfortable. Emily's hands were hovering over Bella; obviously trying to soothe her but Bella's brown eyes were locked on Carlisle's. The doc hadn't moved one inch since the girl's form started shaking, just like mine did when I got angry.

"It's alright; I'm not here to harm you. I'm a doctor," The doc mentioned, hands extended forward defensively. But Bella didn't budge. Her frame started to shake violently and her breathing picked up.

"You're… you're a vampire…" She stumbled for words but she was right on the dot. But Dr. Cullen didn't move or flinch at the term. It was as if he didn't notice what she said.

Cullen closed his eyes, turned away slowly and passed his hand in his hair. "You catch on quite fast, miss," The doc said with a chuckle. He looked at Bella again and shined a soft smile. "But yes, I am a vampire. But not a bad one," He reassured her happily. But unfortunately, that didn't budge her at all. She was still in her frightened position. Even Emily couldn't help her.

"It's alright honey; he's just here to help you. He's going to check your leg and other injuries. Remember, no one's going to hurt you," Emily pointed out comfortingly. Bella looked at the scarred woman for a second before gulping loudly. Her brown eyes turned back to Carlisle and Bella nodded frighteningly.

The doc looked at me for a second and saw that my eyes had not left the beautiful woman's. In the corner of my eye, I saw Cullen nod and walk towards the goddess slowly and cautiously. While the doctor started looking over her leg—which Emily kindly pointed out—I walked over to the bed, cautiously walking over to the other side of the bed, where it was unoccupied. She looked at me while the vampire checked on her injuries. Bella's eyes would not leave mine. She saw how much I wanted to be with her but the look she gave me, it was just a distraction, to keep herself together as a _bloodsucker_ looked her over.

Vampires had hurt her and she could not trust one so easily and so soon.

"Don't worry, you'll be just fine," I assured her while trying to extend a faithful hand towards her shoulder, but she recoiled from my almost touch. My hand was withdrawn immediately. Oh well, can't get everything at once…

**Alright everyone, what did you think for my first Jacob/Bella story? I know it's early to ask this since we're only at chapter 2 but you know, I've never done one of these before, with the whole imprinting thing. So I don't know if I'm doing it right. So please review and tell me what you think:)**

**You guys rock!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	4. Escape

**Alright guys, sorry for the lack of update but you know, with exams, it took most of my time. Alright so here's a new chapter. Hope you guys like it. Please READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 3

Escape

**Bella's Point of View**

This was all just so… overwhelming. Large men had found me and saved me from Anthony but… were they the good guys or the bad ones? I couldn't tell. They were just so… big! They looked young but physically, they looked much older, especially the one with black cropped hair that stayed beside me all the time. They called him Jacob, of what I could remember. But… they had brought a vampire to look at my injuries. How could those large men be trusted? They were friends with vampires and vampires could not be trusted. The doctor had a different shade of colour in his eyes than the other vampires that wanted me as a chew toy.

But that kid Jacob had stayed by my side the whole time that the doctor was looking over my wounds. Jacob was funny. He tried to make me laugh countless times with his shenanigans and it worked. But the doctor was quite shocked at the state of my body. He found many limbs or parts of my body that were desecrated. My right leg was broken in more places than one and many scars, broken ribs, open wounds and gashed formed my body. It was terrifying to see this but no one could see me like this. It was just gruesome.

Night came soon and the leader of the big men—he mentioned his name was Sam—went off with the woman. After the doctor left, she finally introduced herself, a little later but hey, better late than never right? She seemed sweet but she went off with the man. Nothing good could come out of that. They went up the stairs, leaving me downstairs in the darkness. But they weren't responsible for what happened to me now. They had no hold onto me and I didn't have one towards them. But… somehow, my heart felt something towards Jacob. He seemed nice. But he didn't need me. I was broken and worthless.

Now was the perfect time to escape. My ears could detect faint snores from above, probably Sam's snoring. They wouldn't hear me exiting the house. Luckily, the doctor had given me some crutches, although he told me that I shouldn't even use them now, especially in my weak state. My body couldn't support my weight at the moment. But there was no reason to stay here. Anthony and his coven would find me soon enough and that meant risking many lives.

I swung my good leg out of bed and grabbed my crutches shakily. Hoisting myself up shakily and weakly, the pain started in my arms and legs. Even though the pain was now starting to bother me, getting away was the best thing, for everyone. Alright, now how do I use these things? Never did in my life. Although I was extremely clumsy, it never occurred that any part of me would break, not like this.

Ok, how about just swinging them? I swung the crutches and it seemed to work. My body followed the motion of the crutches and it seemed to work. There was movement. I motioned myself towards the entrance of the house, opened the door soundlessly as best as possible. It worked. I was now out of that house and out of their lives. Nothing to hold me here.

"Going somewhere?" A male voice asked from behind me as the door closed soundlessly in front of me. My eyes opened wide. Goose bumps rose on my arms as the voice penetrated my skin deadly. What if that voice was Anthony's? I knew it was familiar but there was no way that my mind could identify it. Lifting my head up high with courage, I turned around and found Jacob in front of me, arms crossed across his naked chest. Good thing he was wearing shorts. That man never puts on any shirts!

When my eyes detected him only a foot away from me, I jumped about a foot in the air and landed on my right leg, incredible pain shooting through my body as it fell to the ground. I screamed slightly as the pain became unbearable. Jacob knelt down in front of me and hovered his hand above my large cast, wondering if he could touch it. My face of pain washed as I stared at his tanned face. He looked tormented.

"What were you trying to do?! Worsen your condition?" He asked while grabbing my crutches and standing above me, holding my crutches hostage.

"I was trying to leave. Now could you please hand me my crutches?"

"Nope." He popped the 'p' in that little word. What was he trying to do? Make me stay?

"I said please," I whimpered, trying to sit up but failed miserably as my weak body caved at the effort.

"Try again," He mused as he backed away one more step. That little devil…

"How about pretty please with cherries on top?" Why was I pleading this kid to give me back my only mean of escape? He was just testing my patience; and these days, it wasn't large.

"Um… let me think about that… No! Now why are you trying to leave? You know you'd be much safer here," He responded as he waved the crutches in the air mockingly. Man, why was he torturing me this? It wasn't as bad as the torture Anthony's coven had but still, they wouldn't let me leave. My only goal wasn't being accomplished.

"Why do you care?"

"Just answer the question."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then I'm guessing you're not getting these back, miss stubborn-head," He mocked with a childish smile, like he was only fooling around and not making me suffer. Although this was not making me laugh like he wanted, he was still making me mad.

I sighed and decided to tell the truth. It wouldn't hurt. "Fine. If you must know, I'm leaving. There's no reason why I should stay here anyways."

"Oh yeah, that's the smartest thing to do," He mocked with a snort, like he was actually laughing at me. But this was no laughing matter. "Seriously, why would you try and leave? Just to run back to those bloodsuckers who obviously want you dead?" He asked bitterly, pure hatred emanating from each word, along with his body shaking. But he calmed down after a few seconds, closing his dark eyes and taking deep breaths. "You'd be much safer here with us. We can protect you better if we have an eye on you."

"But why would you try and protect me? I'm nothing to you," I admitted, head bending down in shame. "I'm nothing to _anyone_." My voice cracked in sadness.

"And how do you know that? I bet'cha your parents are missing you like crazy right now," He responded and a tear fell down my fragile cheek. He didn't know. There was no point over crying right now. It happened months ago, minutes before Anthony had come for me. He was the one that… oh it was the past now but it still haunted me, day and in my nightmares. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked sceptically as he eyed me questionably.

Shaking my head to hide the tears, I smiled weakly at him and tried to make him believe that everything was actually fine. "It's nothing important. Don't worry about it. Now, could you please give me back my crutches?" I said, my voice cracking with broken tears with each word.

"Not unless you're actually staying here," He replied, testing me with those dark eyes of him. He scrunched one eyebrow and looked sceptically at me, as if I would lie to him. But lying was the best thing right now. It was the only mean of escape. But… maybe I could try it another day. But then again, Jacob would be on my tail every single day, checking to make sure that I wouldn't try and leave anytime soon.

Sighing, I tried to lift myself up again but with little results. "Fine, I'll stay. Happy?" I answered exasperated. Jacob just grinned widely by my response. What else could he want from me at this time of night?

"Alright then, let me help you up," He answered as he extended his hand towards me, waiting for me to take it. Looking at his tanned skin, my eyes soon diverted to his childish face. He was… quite beautiful in this moonlit night.

Shaking the thought out of my head, I took his hand and he helped me stand up properly without too much pain. Jacob handed me the crutches, obviously aware of my fear towards men, and we walked back into the house soundlessly. Emily and Sam hadn't woken up yet and I was able to crawl back into bed with an uneasy slumber.

**Jacob's Point of View**

Ok, obviously what I did was a little cruel but Bella was trying to leave! She'd be found by those bloodsuckers and probably killed. And that couldn't happen. She was way too important, to me. Her beautiful eyes had shed some tears but unfortunately, she would not tell me the reason behind her fears. It was probably something I said but she would not inform me on what I say wrong. But she went back to bed after our little argument and fell asleep easily.

Looking at her might have been a little creepy, which is why I didn't stay too long. But watching her beautiful mahogany hair fall across her pale face and her steady breathing just relaxed me. How badly my hand wanted to caress her beautiful cheek and whisper her goodnight. But it would upset her. She needed time to heal physically and mentally because of her ordeal that I would gladly give her the space. When it was time, then maybe I could become a part of her life.

Walking out of Sam's house, I turned around once and sighed before running back home to Billy. When arriving home, Billy was already in bed. Of course he was, it was one o'clock in the morning for crying out loud! Anyways, going to my room and crawling under my bed, the only thing that came through my mind was Bella. Her beautiful smile and lovely voice just came into every dream I had for many days. She truly was a beautiful goddess descended from above, just like an angel.

**Alright so what did you think of Bella's little escape? I know it failed miserably but Jacob's imprint couldn't just leave, could she? Please REVIEW to give me your opinion on this chapter. REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

8


	5. A new morning

**Alright guys, EXTREMELY SORRY for the lack of update. I've had a large writer's block, which I tried to get rid of with writing other stories but that didn't work. Now, this chap might not be the best but please, give me ideas!!! I seriously need them. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 4

A new morning

**Bella's Point of View**

The nightmare reappeared that night. And it was more terrifying than ever.

_Anthony was chasing me in the forest, cooing at me from behind. But I just kept running, trying to avoid him. But it seemed that my legs weren't running fast enough. "Come out, come out wherever you are!" He cooed as his voice got closer and closer to me. _

_But even as I ran, a gust of wind came next to me and suddenly, my body slammed into something extremely hard… and cold. Looking up, my eyes adjusted to find the one and only Anthony smirking at me. No sound came from my mouth; it only hung loose. _

"_Found you," He mused as his hands grabbed my arms and he brought his head closer to my neck. NO!_

I bolted up straight in the bed, even though every muscle in my body protested against the movement. Sweat poured down my face, along with the tears that fell from my glassy eyes. The nightmare seemed so real. A knock was heard from the door, which made me twitch nervously in the bed. "May I come in?" A sweet female voice asked from the other side of the door. It wasn't like Anthony's sickening voice in my nightmare, or even his followers in real life. I recognized that voice. It was that woman Emily, the one who stayed with me yesterday when I was found.

"Um… yes," I answered weakly and frightened. But she heard me. She entered the room slowly, probably to help me avoid getting scared. Emily had a wooden tray in her hands as she entered the room slowly and steadily, trying not to drop the contents onto the floor.

"I thought you'd be quite hungry. So, I brought you some breakfast," She mentioned with a sweet caring smile as Emily placed the wooden tray on my lap.

Giving her the best smile available at the moment, I nodded and mumbled a thank you as she stayed by my bedside, probably hoping that I would eat. Unfortunately, my stomach gave my hunger away with a large growl. When was the last time I had a decent meal, much less actual food? Anthony hardly fed me because he thought that my blood wouldn't be as good if my body was healthy. But he was wrong. If I could have eaten a meal a day, then my blood would have been perfect for them.

"Um… thank you," I mumbled shyly while looking at my food. On the tray, there were eggs, bacon, toast and even a bowl of fruit. These were thing I hadn't had in… months? Weeks? How long had it been since Anthony had first kidnapped me? "Um… would you mind telling me what day we are today?"

"Today's August eighteenth," She replied with that loving smile again. My eyes opened wide at the date. August eighteenth?! I'd been with Anthony and the rest of them for almost two months? I'm shocked that my starvation hadn't killed me yet. "What's the matter, sweetie?" The word shocked me. No one had ever called me that before. Emily seemed… motherly. It seemed nice.

"It's… nothing, I guess. Thank you for the meal. I… I don't know how to thank you," I mumbled while reaching for my fork but thinking it best not to.

"Bella, you don't need to thank me for anything," Emily told me with that reassuring smile. "Don't worry, the food won't bite." I winced slightly at the use of the word 'bite'. Her smile disappeared instantaneously and she shifted her eyes from me to the floor. "I didn't mean anything by that. It… it was supposed to be a joke."

"It's alright. You don't need to stop living because of me. I'll be out of your hair whenever I can get my legs to function again," I answered while poking at the food guiltily. These people had to stop their way of living just because I was here. It… it wasn't right. Soon, they would just return to their normal livelihood when I was out of this house. Maybe… maybe Anthony would get me back.

"You take as much time as you need, sweetie. There's no rush. Sam and I will try to get in contact with your parents and you can take as much time as you need before going back," She mentioned and a slight frown formed on my face. Luckily, she didn't notice. No one would be able to find my parents, let alone get in touch with them. Anthony had made sure of that. He killed them off so they wouldn't be able to try and find me or even talk to anyone.

"Thank you…" I whispered sadly and she just smiled. I looked at her and, for the first time, noticed her scars. Three long scars ran down from under her right eye to the bottom of her neckline. Even her horrifying scars could not make this woman any less beautiful. No wonder the man—I think his name was Sam or something—would like to be with her. She was beautiful beyond words.

"You're very welcome, dear. Now please, eat something. To regain your strengths, you need to eat and rest. So, you'll need to do both," She answered with a slight chuckle.

"Alright," I answered shyly before poking a tiny piece of sausage onto my fork and placing it in my mouth. As soon as the tender piece of meat entered my mouth, warmth filled my body. Happy memories entered my mind, which made my frown disappear immediately. It brought back so many mornings of when I used to cook for my mom and dad and made breakfast in bed and smiled at the warm family meal.

"I see that the look on your face means you like it?" Emily's voice brought me out of the warm memories. My eyes went straight to her face and saw a large smile had appeared, either from the look on my face or something I was unaware of.

"Yes, thank you very much. It's delicious."

"No need to thank anyone, dear. Remember, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," She replied before walking towards the door.

"Wait." She stopped and turned to face me with a confused expression. "Why are you helping me so much? You hardly even know me."

She chuckled slightly at my question. Had I said something funny? "It only seemed logical. A person in need should not be unattended to. And… there's something that's telling all of us that you're needed around here," She answered before walking out of the room, leaving me alone with my horrible thoughts.

They were all so nice to me.

I didn't deserve this.

They didn't deserve this.

Maybe it would be better if I left and healed sooner than later.

**Emily's Point of View**

Poor Bella… She looked so fragile and innocent. Why would anyone try and hurt such a thing. But… she did have a point. Why was I caring so much for her? Something told me that she needed more than just people around her. It was as if she needed a family.

Sam came in the living room—of course he had no shirt—and kissed my right cheek, exactly where my long scars reformed my face. "Good morning," He answered happily while grabbing an extra large muffin I had made yesterday morning.

"'Morning Sam. So, what's the plan for today?" I asked while making some more eggs for the both of us. He turned to face me and shrugged his shoulders.

"It seems as though the rest of the pack will want to talk about Bella. And it looks like Jacob will want to stay close to her as much as possible."

Something popped into my mind. "Do you really think he—"

Sam closed his eyes and nodded. "I think so, which is why I want to have a little discussion with the pack. We'll meet up in the woods and discuss this factor," Sam answered before he came up to me, enveloped me in his arms and kissed me constantly. I chuckled at that. This was a normal ritual in the morning. Sam felt extremely bad for what happened to me—meaning my scar. It wasn't his fault. It was no one's fault. I was just too close. And besides, I forgave him easily.

"You better get going. They'll probably be waiting for you," I answered and my fiancé stopped kissing me. He nodded and kissed me on the lips one last time before he walked towards the front door. "Sam," He stopped and looked at me with adoration in his dark eyes. "I'd like to talk to you about Bella afterwards." Somehow, my heart felt right about Bella. She needed a family. But she also needed to be healed properly. This must have been all so overwhelming for her that it would be a long process for her state of mind to recollect. "Maybe there's more we can do for her."

Sam nodded and walked out of the house. It was amazing how that man would do anything for La Push, his pack and my feelings. Maybe it was for the best that we took care of Bella ourselves. Somehow, the look on Bella's face when I mentioned her parents bothered me. What had I said that saddened her that easily?

Maybe… We would have to see if my suspicious were correct, which I think they probably were.

I started cooking to get my mind in order. That was one way to get my ideas sorted and plans formed. First off, the pack would have to understand that Bella needed treatment. She would need a lot of rest and time for her cuts and bruised to heal, along with her heart. Second, Jacob would have to accommodate to the fact that he possibly Imprinted with Bella. Third, maybe Sam and I would be able to help Bella even further than we are now.

"It's going to be a long few days," I mentioned with a smile as my hands wound the dough carefully.

**So, what did you think? It must have been horrible but that's all my brain could muster at the time. Maybe it will get better. But I need a lot of ideas so please REVIEW!!! And thanks for sticking in with me.**

**Bellacullenswan17**

6


	6. Talk on the beach

**Alright, so it took me a while to get this chapter up but here it is. It might not be that great cause I'm having a little bit of trouble with these chapters but hey, hope you guys keep liking this story. SO READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 5

Talk on the beach

**Jacob's Point of View**

This really sucked. Sam had me on patrol most of the time, enabling me to go see Bella. I mean, she had been here only a few days and now, she'd already gotten me tangled around her. It's as if a web wrapped itself around me and brought me closer to her, making everything around me disappear. Quil had the same reaction towards Claire and so did Sam when he imprinted upon Emily.

It was official. I'd imprinted with Bella Swan.

Not that I minded, really. She _was_ beautiful, and if I hadn't been there to stop her from escaping that other night, then she would have been separated from me. Bella might have even been caught by those filthy bloodsuckers, maybe even killed. Ok, frankly we haven't experienced the loss of our imprint through death but it must be horrible.

Today was sort of a day off for me. Sam had told me that Bella'd been feeling better these days. Now, she could walk easier on her crutches and her nasty bruises and cuts were healing quickly. That was a good thing. He'd told me that I could go see her if it's something that would make me feel better.

Yes, I'd been a large pain in the ass to everyone. Most of my thoughts revolved around that one night when Bella 'escaped' but didn't even make it past the front door. Everyone whined because of that and now, Sam was taking matters into his own hands.

"You sure?" I asked him, hoping he would still say yes.

"Just go. We can handle ourselves for one day. If we need you, then we'll howl or something," He implied and I immediately ran off towards Emily's house. I knocked on the door when arriving there and Emily screamed at me to enter.

"I'm guessing Sam told you to come over?" Emily retorted sarcastically. She was making large muffins for the bunch of us and some eggs and bacon for Bella, I presumed. "Just wait there Jake, I'll tell Bella you're here," She said before exiting the kitchen and walking up to the guest bedroom. Emily stopped momentarily, turned to face me and gave me a large friendly smile. "Help yourself to some muffins but save some for your brothers!"

"Will do Em," I mumbled as she opened the door to Bella's room and disappeared from view. Grabbing a muffin and plopping myself down onto one of the wooden chair, Emily didn't take long to come back into the room with Bella right behind her. It never ceased to amaze me how stunning she looked. Huh, I guess this is how you feel when you're imprinted. You find the person extremely attractive and want to be with them every second of the day.

Bella's showed tints of red streaks through her mahogany coloured hair when it flashed in the sunlight, making it look stunning today. Surprisingly, the sun was out—which was a shocker for La Push—and warmth filled the town. Emily had given Bella a pair of sweat pants, probably to help her because of her cast. Although Bella was still using her crutches, she seemed to be looking a lot better. Some color came back to her face and the cuts on her face seemed to have almost vanished.

Her chocolate brown eyes landed on me and she seemed a little nervous. Bella didn't seem to be very comfortable with men at the moment, all because of those filthy bloodsuckers. Damn them! "Hey Bella," I greeted with a happy smile, putting the muffin down on the table. She seemed a little shy as she leaned against the counter and looked at me.

"Hey," was her simple response as I stood up and walked up to her slowly.

"Here's your breakfast, sweetheart." Emily placed the plate of eggs and bacon on the table and Bella sat down next to it, thanking Emily before digging in. I just stood there and watched her. Yeah sure, it must have looked creepy to her but… it seemed right.

Bella seemed extremely pale and looked cooped up in this house. It seemed like she hadn't gotten out of this house in days. Maybe getting her out in the sunlight will help her feel better. "Hey Bella, how about we go on a walk today? It'll make you feel better." She looked up from her plate and had a confused look on her face.

"Is it really the best thing? I'll just slow you down," Bella answered timidly as she returned to her breakfast, which was almost down. Wow, the girl ate fast! But those bloodsuckers must have almost starved her. It'll take a while for her to eat right again. Bella'll need to eat regularly every day to get back in shape.

"I don't mind. And besides, it's sunny outside. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. And it'll be fun," I insisted.

She hesitated for a little while before nodding her head and giving me a slight smile on that beautiful face of hers. God… she dazzled me even now, and I hardly even knew her. Once Bella stood up, we walked outside and walked slowly towards the entrance of the town. I'd given her a small tour of the house and she was greeted by many of the people living here. My dad had been rolling through town with Sue Clearwater—Seth and Leah's mom—and Bella had found them wonderful.

Yeah, my dad had gotten closer to Sue ever since her husband Harry died of a heart attack a few months ago. Seth still had a little bit of trouble handling the fact that his dad died and Leah tried as much as possible to forget what happened. It was hard on both of them but Billy was helping the family a lot. And he might be getting himself a girlfriend in the process. It was about time Dad started dating again. But the bad news is that if he started dating, Leah would be at the house more often. Ugh! It's just as bad as having Paul around…

"You alright there Jacob?" Bella asked me, snapping me out of my mental talk. We were just a few feet away from First Beach, La Push's only beach, and stopped, looking at the sun hitting the waves and making it sparkle. Frankly, I liked it but it seemed as though Bella wasn't ready to look at that yet. Turning my head to the side, I saw Bella's form tighten when she looked at the water. Everything reminded her of those filthy bloodsuckers that took her.

"The better question is: are you alright?" I asked sweetly, stepping in front of her to help her calm down. She looked like me when I was angry and started to shake, only her whole frame stood there, rigid as a rock. Bringing my hand slowly to her arm, she didn't seem to notice. It was like Bella was in some sort of trance. I placed my hand on her arm and she suddenly flinched, as if my touch burned her. Ha. Sort of ironic. My temperature was a hundred and eight degrees and it would have been burning hot on her skin. "Bella, it's alright, you're safe."

A few seconds later, she blinked a few times, looked straight at me and sighed. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine Bella, don't worry about it." She looked away, avoiding my gaze completely. It just made me sad. I placed a finger gently under her chin—which she flinched once again—and tried to get her to look at me. "Please look at me Bella." I placed the best puppy dog look on my face and when she looked at me, Bella's face fell. Yes! It worked. Although all of this was a little ironic, it seemed to make her laugh a little.

Chuckling, all she said was a mere: "That's really cute," and Bella turned the full glare of her brown eyes on me. God that woman was going to be the death of me one day.

A large smile replaced the 'puppy dog pout'. "See? At least it made you laugh a little. You wanna go on the beach? If not, then we can go back to—"

"I'd love to," She replied, cutting me off completely and tried to walk but had a little difficulty starting. I tried to help her out but she wouldn't let me.

"Always so stubborn, I see," I mocked and she just smiled at me.

"Hey, you're the one who tried to steal my crutches that night. I'm not taking any chances again," She replied mockingly. I laughed at that. "I like your laugh. It's deep and it doesn't sound your age."

"How old you do think I am?"

"Well, I know you're about sixteen because your face shows how young you are but by your size and height, you look like you could be in your early twenties," She replied as I kept pace with her. We walked along the shore and the waves were splashing against my feet. Bella walked along my right side because the waves would hit her cast, which probably wasn't a good thing. I don't know, I'm not the doctor.

"Well, by your height, I'd give you to be a fifteen year old but by your attitude, I'd say you're in your early _thirties_," I mocked and she put on a playful shocked face, obviously playing along.

"Alright, so where are we standing? You're obviously about…" She thought about it for a few seconds before saying: "twenty three."

"And you could be about thirty-two."

"That's pushing it a little, don't you think?" She asked with a large smile. It seemed as though this little conversation of ours made her day. Well, that was the plan, wasn't it?

"Um… let me think." I placed a finger to my chin, imitating something that was thinking and placed a smirk on my face. "Nope. I think it fits you well,"

"Ha, we'll see about that. I'll get younger, you just wait mister obnoxious."

"Obnoxious?" Placing a hand to my naked chest, I looked offended, which she laughed at. "I am so offended. How could you say such a thing?" Apparently, my tone made her laugh even more. We even had to stop walking so Bella could stop laughing. But unfortunately, I started laughing as well. Her laugh had lightened my mood, almost as if her laugh could lighten anyone's mood in a matter of seconds.

"Very funny, have you ever considered going into the acting business?" She asked sarcastically.

"Nah, it's too much drama. Already the pack's giving me a headache, never could I stand around those cheap actors and hear all about their pathetic lives," I answered, and somehow regretted it.

"That's right. I forgot that you're a… werewolf," Bella said, hesitating on the word 'werewolf'. But the fact that I was a werewolf didn't seem to bother her. I mean, she had been kidnapped by vampires. Nothing could be any creepier than hanging out with werewolves. "So, how does it feel to be… you know…"

"A dog?" I filled in for her, hoping that it would help Bella.

"That's not the word I would have used but alright, how does it feel to be a werewolf? Doesn't it get hard sometimes?" She asked, trying to learn more about me. But really, the real mystery was Bella. We knew nothing about her life but she cared about others more than herself. "If you don't mind telling me, that is."

"Nah, it's fine. Well, it's quite a thrill, actually. The only downside is that my clothes won't reappear when I turn into a werewolf. But it's really great. You never get cold—"

"Oh, so that's why you're always without a shirt," She noticed, making me laugh a little.

"Yep. Always a toasty one-oh-eight degrees. Anyways, you get the freedom to roam wherever you want, you can last as long as you want, you hear the other werewolves in your head… What could be better?"

"Doesn't it get annoying to hear them?" She asked curiously. It seemed like Bella really wanted to hear more about me.

"Well, when you hear them twenty-four seven, it gets hard. But hey, it's the crime for living forever." That seemed to have caught her off guard.

"You can live forever?"

"Well, if we keep on changing all the time, then yes. But if we go for a period of time without turning into a werewolf, then we start aging again," I explained as best as possible. It seemed to intrigue her. We sat down on a log and just stared at each other for a while. "Enough about me. What about you? How old are you?"

"Seventeen. I'll be turning eighteen in just a few months. But hey, it's just another year older," She answered plainly.

"But you get to be an adult. You can drink legally now. And what about your parents? Do they know that you're here?" I asked and immediately, her eyes shifted from curious to deeply sad. Was it something I said? Bella looked away from me and my eyes detected a tear falling down her face.

"Let's change the subject, please," She pleaded sadly, her voice taking on a completely different tone. Something must have happened while she had been kidnapped. Hopefully she would tell me in time. That is, if she ever wanted to talk to me after this.

"Um… sure Bella. Have any plans for school? I mean, it's starting school, unfortunately."

"Not really. I mean, I used to go to school in Forks but then…" It seemed like she wasn't going to give me any more information on the subject.

"I don't want to force you into saying anything. You can tell me when you feel right about it," I assured her and a small smile spread onto her face. That was a sign of improvement. At least we were getting somewhere.

"Thanks Jacob, I really like talking to you," She told me, still with that wonderful smile of hers. No wonder I never wanted to leave her side. Who would? She was a wonderful person: great personality, humour, beauty. Bella Swan was perfect.

"No problem. Anything you need a goof to talk to, I'll be that goof," I assured her and she laughed half-heartedly once more.

And with that, we talked until the sun set. We walked back slowly towards Emily's house and her presence comforted me, like I could never get angry or hurt her. Suddenly, an image of Emily with her scar popped into my mind. That was one thing I would never do to Bella, if she allowed me to stay close to her: I would never, _ever _hurt her. Never.

**Alright so Jacob's getting closer to Bella. What will happen now? Will they get together again? Or will something happen? REVIEW TO FIND OUT!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

**PS: Also, I need a few more ideas. Please give me some!!!**

8


	7. Girl talk

**Alright, you guys are getting a chapter, happy? I've had an EXTREMELY hard time writing this chapter so it better be worth it to all of you. I've tried pleasing but so far, it's not working. So, when and if you're going to review for this chapter, tell me what I can do to help. And don't tell me to stop writing new stories because that helps me write chapters. It's my method. Now, READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 6

Girl talk

**Bella's Point of View**

Jacob was extremely patient with me. It seemed as though he would take his time getting to know me. But… why would he want to get to know _me_? I'm no one. And I'm definitely not someone interesting. It's hard to believe that he's wanted to spend so much time with me. Almost every day, he would come by Emily's house and ask to see me. We would do anything: go to La Push beach, go to his house and sit in his garage, all that kind of stuff.

But a set of unease started creeping up on me.

I disturbed an innocent family's life with my horrible problem and now, guilt made its way in my conscious. Their lives have stopped ever since I arrived and now, I wanted nothing more than to let them have a normal life without me in it. It only seemed right.

I was staring at the wall when suddenly, a knock comes on my door. "Bella?" Emily asked from the doorway as she opened the door and peeped her head through the room. Looking at her, she seemed slightly worried. Probably worried about me, no doubt. "May I come in?"

"Of course. It's your house after all." Somehow, Emily made me feel safe. She was the kind of woman that would make a great mother and protect their young ones without second thought. When she entered, her face lit up with a smile. "What's up?" I asked casually, lifting my head up slightly from my knees.

"I need to go to the grocery store since the boys ate almost everything in the fridge and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" She asked, walking closer and closer to the bed. Was there any way that I could refuse her after she's giving me a place to stay for now?

"Wouldn't I just slow you down since I'm on crutches?"

"Of course not! And besides, it'll do you some good to get some fresh air. I know that Jake took you out these days but you need a girl's outing, even if it is to the grocery store," She said with a smile, but her statement made me laugh. Whenever I was with Jacob, he made me feel happy and like my old self, before everything happened. But with Emily, it was as if I was with my best friend.

"Um... sure. Why not?" was my response while getting my crutches, standing up and limping out of the room with her. We got to the truck and started driving towards the small grocery store when Emily decided to make a little small talk.

"So, how do you like it here?"

"Well, it's small and quiet. I like it," I responded, looking out the window and watching the citizens walk by and smiling at one another. It was nice to see the smiles around this place. It was comfortable and made me want to smile nowadays. It changed my mind slightly. "Everyone's so happy."

"And carefree. Everyone in this town doesn't have to worry about getting killed every day or big responsibilities like the boys do," She responded, never letting her eyes drift from the road.

"I take it that you've had to deal with this for a while?"

She chuckled and said: "Well, when your fiancé is the leader of a pack of werewolves, you tend to get sucked into all of this." She started laughing at the situation for no apparent reason. But Emily was like everyone in this town. Happy. Was this contagious or something? If so, I might contract it soon...

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." And that was the end of our conversation for now. There didn't seem to be anything else that we could talk about for now. And frankly, this was the first time that I got out in public, let alone get out without Jacob there with me. A realization hit me at that last thought. Was I... falling for Jacob? No, no. Of course not. He was helping me. That's all. And I was becoming dependent over Jacob. It wasn't fair for him.

"You alright?" Emily asked, snapping me out of my self-babble. Looking back at her, she had this big grin on her face. What was...? Did she have an idea of what I was thinking? No... it couldn't be.

I glared at her and said: "Perfectly… Why do you ask?"

"We're here," Emily said, completely ignoring my question. Somehow, that got me a little irritated but I couldn't get mad at her. She was, after all, lending me a room for a few days. When I will be better again, they won't have to worry about me. It's best if Anthony finds me again, even though that is my worst nightmare…But it's better for everyone, even Jacob. We got out of the truck and walked inside, starting to get the groceries needed. "So, how are you and Jake doing? He's been coming over every single day."

The question took me off guard. "Why do you want to know?" I asked, trying not to be defensive.

"I see the way he looks at you. It's the way Sam looks at me. I'm guessing he imprinted on you." A look of confusion passed over my face. What in the world was she talking about? "That or he's in love with you." This time, my mouth hung open.

"I… I doubt that Jacob looks at me that way… I mean, why would he?" I asked, looking down as I limped beside Emily to keep up with her. But she did slow down to keep up with me when she noticed that her rhythm was much faster than mine at times. "And what do you mean, he 'imprinted' on me?"

Emily stopped walking with her cart and looked at me. "No one told you about it?" She asked curiously. We both looked into each other's eyes and tried to get what she meant but it was like reading a hieroglyphic stone. For someone who didn't know how to read those kinds of stones, it was impossible and a waste of time. "I guess you're going to need a little... filling in now that you're going to be living with werewolves," Emily said with a large smile plastered on her scarred face once again. What was up with her and smiling?

"Well, is there really a point to giving me all of this... information if I'm only going to be staying here a few days?"

"You think we're just going to let you get back out there with a bunch of vampires after you?" She was very careful not to let the word 'vampire' slip out too loud for others to hear. The one thing I knew from staying with Anthony was that they needed to be kept a secret from the humans. Emily eyed me carefully and, when I didn't respond, her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Oh no! Don't even think about it! You are _not_ going back out there until those villains are killed. And you're going to stay with me and Sam until this is all over," Emily explained as she started walking again and grabbed a few boxes of cereal and a few pouches of muffins. We had only been at this for twenty minutes and she had almost filled her cart.

"Ok, these boys are going to make you lose your income, Emily," I responded with a chuckle and she laughed with me. It was nice to have this girl-to-girl talk. It felt... normal.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But hey, someone has to feed them. And besides, at the next tribe meeting, they're going to pay me back. After all, I am feeding their boys." Emily sounded so serious but it was hilarious to hear this from her.

"You sound like a real mother to all of these guys."

"In some way, yes, I am. But since Sam _is_ the pack leader, it sort of makes me a woman of strong importance in this pack. But, you know what? We completely drifted from the point here!" Emily exclaimed, realizing something was wrong in this conversation. I, on the other hand, looked very confused at the moment.

"What point?" I asked, both of us stopping simultaneously.

"When we started talking about you and Jacob!" Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose while trying to hold my crutches as best as possible. "Oh come on! We're having a girl-to-girl talk! We're supposed to be talking about boys.

"And Jacob just _happens _to get involved in this? I mean, is there really a point to talk about this? Jacob is only putting up with me because Sam probably gave him some order to take care of me," I explained and unfortunately, Emily sighed at my comment.

"Bella, Sam didn't say anything to Jacob. In fact, of what I've been told, Jacob has been complaining this entire time _to_ Sam. Jacob _wants_ to spend time with you. That's what happens when you've imprinted on someone," Emily explained as she continued to shop around.

"Ok, you keep mentioning the word imprint so you need to explain to me this whole imprinting thing to me before I go mad. And trust me, I almost went there." She eyed me worriedly but I pushed it away. "Long story. Anyways, explain."

A sigh escaped her lips before she started explaining. "Sam explained this to me the moment we started dating. He told me that an imprint can be compared to love at first sight. When a werewolf sees a girl or a boy, there's a certain... pull that brings the werewolf closer to that person. Apparently, you want to be beside that person, protecting them constantly from any sign of danger, even if it means getting killed in the process," She explained, her face remembering something from the past.

"And you think... that Jacob is acting like this because... he imprinted on me?" I asked, trying to sink all of this information in. Would it be possible that Jacob actually... wanted to protect me? I'm no one to risk their lives over.

"I see the way Jacob looks at you. He's very much attracted to you. And he wants nothing more than to see you safe, which means that he won't rest until those vampires are killed."

"Yes but I'm not going to let anyone risk their lives just so they can protect some stranger like me! I mean, you've known me for less than a week and you're already getting these boys to protect me from vam... from my kidnappers. Do you expect Anthony to just... let this slide? He's going to come after me and it's going to involve a lot of people, which is exactly what I don't want. I don't want anyone getting hurt," I said. She looked at me with the saddest look ever. In her eyes, I could see her that she knew my pain. She felt it every day with Sam, not knowing if Emily would see Sam after a day's work. And my words were hurting her. "I'm sorry. Maybe it's in everyone's best interest if I left now instead of after I'm healed. It would—"

"No," Emily said, her tone final. "We're not going to let you be an easy target for this Anthony. If we have to, we're going to make it a living hell to get to you." Looking at her, I could see that her eyes were filled with pain, pain for my pain it seemed. "I'm not letting him take you." I could see the affection in her eyes. Emily would rather see someone safe than in the hands of evil. And she was an instinctive mother at heart.

Looking away from her for the moment, I smiled and said: "Alright," before she wound her arm around my shoulders and squeezed hard, giving me a good hug, one that I haven't had in months.

"Ok, so back to our little conversation. How do you feel about Jacob?" She pestered.

"Ugh! You're insufferable!" I exclaimed happily as we continued shopping. Emily was a good friend, one that I would love to keep, if possible.

**Alright, so what did you think? Hate it? Like it? Want to stop reading this story? Just to tell you, I'm not a Jacob/Bella fan so if you ever stop liking this story, then you'll have an idea why. Someone asked me to write a sort of story like this so I aimed to please. Now, REVIEW please!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

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	8. Billy

**OK SO I'VE WRITTEN TWO CHAPTERS FOR EVERY STORY (EXCEPT THE LONG CHAPTERS SUCH AS THE PRINCE AND THE STREET RAT THAT WAS A LONG CHAPTER) SO ONCE I GET SOME REVIEWS, YOU'LL BE GETTING THE NEXT CHAPTER FOR THIS STORY.****Alright so I know it's been a long time and I probably lost A LOT of reviewers, but I told you guys before that I'm not a Jacob/Bella fan, plus the inspiration didn't come to me until I was on this trip so, please read and review.**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight.**

Chapter 7

Billy

**Bella's Point of View**

When leaving the grocery store, Emily and I talked more about our lives. Ok, more about her life than mine. Emily knew that I still had a lot of trouble discussing my past with anyone and so she gave me some liberty to keep that information to myself for the time being. She explained to me the dilemma between her, Sam and a woman named Leah. Apparently, Sam and Leah had been a couple for a long time before Sam fell upon Emily and imprinted on her. Leah was heartbroken but in the end, Sam chose Emily and Leah was forced with the burden of having to look at them. It pained Emily to see Leah like this but it was Sam's choice.

Now Leah was one of the pack members. Everyone had to feel the pain Leah was going through. Maybe Leah would find someone that she could imprint on.

Would Jacob do the same thing? Apparently, I was his imprint. But... did he already like someone else before me? Does he still like someone? Why did I care so much for this? Maybe because I was starting to care for Jacob... He was sweet, caring, funny. But he didn't need someone like me in his life, someone who was chased after by a coven of bloodthirsty vampires.

Should I tell him this? In the end, I needed to talk to him anyways.

Looking at Emily as she drove, my mind kept centering around Jacob and the need to talk to him about all of this. Maybe now was the best time. "Um... Emily?" I asked hesitantly. She looked at me for a second before going back to eyeing the road.

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright if you could tell me which bus to take to get to where Jacob is? I... I need to talk to him. Do you know where he might be?" I asked, hoping that Emily would give me some information so that I could take a bus or something to where Jacob is. But what surprised me is that she smiled widely and made a turn at the next light. "You don't have to drive me there."

"Bella, it's fine. Really. Besides, it'll take longer for you to take the bus and arrive to where he is. I have a feeling he's at the house so we can start there," Emily explained, her smile never fading from her face. Was she happy that I wanted to spend more time with Jacob? I only just needed to talk to him about this. He might not even want to speak to me again afterwards. I wasn't keeping my hopes up.

We arrived to Jacob's house moments later. I'd seen it only once when we went to his garage but it was very quaint and seemed quite cozy. A small house with red wooden walls, white bordering and a small shed behind the house. That small shed held the car Jacob was working on. It was very nice so far and would run great in the end.

Emily stopped the car and she got out, running over to my side to help me descend. Emily was absolutely great to have around. She was very kind and helped me whenever needed. And now, as my leg was still broken—but healing—she helped me even more. It was also easier to be around women than men... for now. Whenever being touched by a man, I always flinched, remembering Anthony and his sadistic ways. But with women, it was slightly easier. I didn't flinch as often. My body was slowly healing. Emily and Jacob helped me a lot in the healing department and at night, my body healed on its own. In just a few days, I'd be able to remove the cast and try to walk on my own. When I was on my crutches, Emily's hands hovered close to me in case I needed help but when nodding to her, she lowered her hands and walked close to me.

We walked to the front door of Jacob's house and knocked softly. Waiting a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a man with long black hair wearing a black cowboy's house, a kind but old face and in a wheelchair wheeling itself in front of us.

"Hello Emily," The man said. It was the first time I met him but he looked a lot like Jacob. Maybe he was his father?

"Hello Billy. We're looking for Jacob. Is he in by any chance?" Emily asked with a soft smile on her face, her hand placed behind my back carefully, probably to keep me balanced. Looking at the man, he seemed just like his son: caring and nice. His wise visage made me think of those old shaman that lived in the earlier centuries. "Bella here would like to talk to him, if it's alright with you."

"There's no problems. I sent him to the store to get a few supplies for the house so he should be here momentarily. If you'd like to wait a little bit, then he'll be right in," Billy said with a soft and gentle smile, looking at me. It was a little unnerving but I didn't say anything, in fear of upsetting Jacob's father.

"That's perfectly fine. If you don't mind, I'm going to run a few more errands for the house. Would it be alright if I left Bella in your care until Jacob returns?" Emily asked, making me slightly afraid. She was leaving me with this complete stranger? That wasn't right!

"It's alright with me, as long as Bella feels comfortable staying here with dear old me," He said, a warm smile spreading on his wrinkled face. Somehow, Billy seemed alright. He seemed like someone trustworthy, just like Jacob... Like father like son I suppose. "Will it cause trouble Bella, if you stay with me for a few more minutes?"

"Um... no, not at all, I suppose," I answered hesitantly, looking at Emily for some help. She nodded in reassurance and stroked my back once before looking at Billy again.

"Take care now," was her final response before going back to her car and driving away. Looking back at Billy, he smiled at me and motioned, with a wave of his hand, towards the inside of the house.

"Do you want to come inside and get comfortable? It's best if you sat down and lifted your leg for support," Billy suggested warmly, trying to make me as comfortable as possible. It was nice of him, to want to help me so much. He really did remind me of his son—I'm still guessing that Jacob's his son but I could be mistaken—a lot. "If you'd like. They told me what happened and I just want to help."

"Thank you. I... I think you're right. It would be best if I sat down," I said, nodding slowly with a slight smile. Billy began wheeling himself inside and I limped in behind him.

The inside of the house was quite cosy. White walls, small space but all in all, it fit for this man's home. A soft couch, TV, small white kitchen, everything. It was quaint. I liked it. Billy wheeled himself next to the couch and motioned for me to sit down with a smile.

"Please, sit." His voice was soft and welcoming, not harsh or demanding. I liked that. It made me feel calmer and unafraid of being here... slightly unafraid. There was still the fear that this man would turn on me and harm me. But that was for every person around me.

Sitting down, I positioned my right leg away from him so that he wouldn't have any problems wheeling around it and smiled ever so slightly at Billy. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome. Would you like anything to eat or drink while you wait?"

"Um... no thank you."

"Very well," Billy said with a nod, his smile never fading.

"If you don't mind me prying, are you Jacob's father?"

"Why yes, how did you know?"

"You look a lot like him. Same features and you seem very caring and gentle, just like your son." He seemed to scoff slightly at that remark. My smile automatically faded. "Did I say something wrong...?" I asked hesitantly. Was I already gonna get kicked out? Probably.

"Not at all. Just... not many people say that Jacob is gentle when they first meet him. But... maybe he's different with you. Maybe..."

"How so...?"

"Whenever he comes home after seeing you, he's always happy. There's nothing that you can do to take away that smile that he has whenever Jake steps through the door. Or whenever he wants to see you, you can see him fidgeting and restless. It's amazing to see... But also sometimes very annoying. Jake will always want to go out and see you every single minute of the day. He misses you a lot," Billy explained, looking off in the distance as he was remembering. Jacob really acted that way...? Because of me?

"All this because he imprinted on me..." I mumbled to myself, looking down at my hands on my lap.

"I don't think it's just because of that. Sure, there's an attraction because of the imprint but I think it has more to do with you and your personality. How do you feel when you're with my son?" Billy asked curiously.

Looking down at my lap, I began fiddling with the hem of my shirt when replying to his question. "I... I feel safe, for some reason. Like he can protect me from anything... But I know that it'll take me some time to get really comfortable with anyone for now and he knows it too. I like how he's this patient with me and it makes me happy to know that he's this patient with someone like me... He always makes me smile with his funny and sometimes lame jokes. I feel warm when I'm around him... I feel like I'll be complete later on with him around..." I responded, not really comprehending anything. Had I just admitted all of this to Jacob's father? But... everything that was said came from the heart. I had meant everything that was said. Everything. Looking back at Billy, he seemed to be smiling widely, never taking his eyes off of me. "But, he'd never go for someone like me... someone who's being chased down by a pack of bloodthirsty vampires..."

"You'd be surprised Bella..." And what was all he said before the door was opened and Jacob walked in the room with two brown bags in his arms, looking at the two of us.

"Bella. Hey there. Wasn't expecting you," Jacob said with a soft and gentle smile. He placed the bags on the kitchen counter and faced us again, this time wearing his shirt.

"I just... popped by unexpectedly. I needed to talk to you and your father stayed with me until you returned." Looking back at Billy, something in his eyes told me that he wouldn't tell his son anything that just happened. It was kind of him to do so. I still needed to keep some of my secrets... for now. Standing up shakily, Jacob walked over to me and placed a soft hand under my elbow to steady me. I only flinched slightly at his touch but otherwise, my flinching away from others was getting better. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. Wanna go out in the garage? Or take a walk so you can tell me whatever you need to tell me?"

"Anywhere you want."

"Alright, we can go for a walk if you feel up for it." Nodding, he looked back at Billy and said: "I'll be back in a few alright dad?"

"Sure Jake. Take as long as you need," Billy said with a smile as he waved to us once before wheeling out of the room and going towards the kitchen. Looking back at Jacob, he smiled at me before helping me limp out of the house towards the small park that was close to his house.

Maybe I _was_ falling for Jacob Black... Just maybe.

**Alright so what did you think of Bella and Billy's talk? Good? Bad? Let me know in some reviews please.**

**Bellacullenswan17**

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	9. Imprinting

**Alright so inspiration is coming to me for some reason (don't ask cause I don't even know myself) but here is a soft and cute chapter. Hope you guys like it. Let me know when you read and review.**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight.**

Chapter 8

Imprinting

**Bella's Point of View**

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Jacob asked as we walked—well, he walked and I limped—in the park. It was quite a nice park, very quiet and open with many flowers surrounding the area.

Walking with Jacob felt nice, right. It felt as easy as breathing. Looking at him, he was looking at me right in the eyes every time I turned my head. "I wanted to talk to you about something..." He looked at me curiously, giving me an opportunity to continue. "Emily told me about imprinting and your dad and I discussed it a little. But... Emily says you've imprinted on me.

"Oh... this subject," Jacob said, his tone becoming serious and he looked straight ahead instead of at me.

"Is it true...?"

Jacob didn't answer for a while but when he did, my heart sank slightly. "Yeah, it's true." Looking at the ground, I stopped and he stopped as well, just a foot away from me. Turning his head to face me, our eyes locked and I still felt safe, even though this would end soon...

"Then let me ask you this: do you have a girlfriend?"

Jacob raised an eyebrow at me and said: "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend? Cause I—"

"No! That's not what I mean! Just answer the question Jacob."

"No, I don't have a girlfriend. Why do you even ask me this? What's this got to do with anything?"

"Everything!"

"Then help me understand Bella. Why did you ask me this?"

"Because I don't want this... this thing to become like Emily, Sam and Leah, alright?" I said and his expression completely fell. Jacob knew exactly which story I was talking about—probably because of the pack mind-reading factor that showed him exactly what happened between them—and he didn't like it. "I'm not going to let that happen, especially not to a nice guy like you."

"Bella, I don't have anyone in my life that is anywhere _near_ a girlfriend at the moment. And I doubt that it'll come to that, especially with the imprinting," Jacob explained, making my heart sink even more.

"This is what I mean Jacob... You're gonna put everything aside because of this imprint. You'll never be happy, which more than sucks for you." He answered my statement with a shrug.

"I don't mind it. I like being around you."

"And I like being around you too but this—"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I want you to be happy! Is that such a crime? I don't want you to be pulled down because of this imprint thing. And right now, I'm in the way of your happiness. I get that you'll want to be close to me constantly but it won't be healthy for you and you'll never be able to get that one special someone for you. All because of me. And I won't let that happen Jacob. Not to—"

Jacob walked over to me, placed his hands softly but fiercely on my upper arms and made me look in his eyes. For some reason, I didn't cringe away from his touch this time. It's as if I wasn't afraid at all of him.

"Bella, being away from you will be the hardest thing for me. And I don't want anyone else. You make me happy. I want to be close to you, not just because of the imprinting, but also because of who you are. Don't you get it? That's why I've been coming over lately so much. I want to get to know the person inside of you so that it's not just this imprinting thing that's getting in the way. And you will _never_ get in the way of my happiness. Never. Do you understand Bella?" He asked softly. His words cut through me and I couldn't respond. "Ok, so I know that was horribly cheesy but it's the truth. I _do_ want to be near you, yeah, but not just for the imprinting. You're a good person. And you are great to be around. You're funny when I can make you laugh with my lame jokes. And you... you're just amazing to be around. Can you believe me on this one Bella?" He said, looking deep into my eyes. His brown eyes were shining down on me, his heat radiating into my skin and making me warm inside. It was like he was his own sun...

Nodding slowly, he released my arms, letting his fingers brush against my skin and sending chills down my body. But not cold chills. Yearning chills. Like I wanted him to touch me more often. I just realized something... He was trying to tell me that he liked me... I think.

But... did this mean that he actually wanted me for me or because of this imprint thing?

"How can I be sure that everything you do won't be because of the imprint situation?" I asked softly, feeling a certain pain form in my leg from using it too much today. Jacob saw the very small change in my features and placed a soft hand behind my back, helping me to a bench nearby. Looking back at him, I asked: "Like this. How do I know that it wasn't the imprinting talking?"

"You're like an open book Bella. I can read your face easily and see if you're upset or sad. The imprinting thing only makes you want to be close to the person. The feelings I feel for you are all me. No one else. Besides, no one here wants you to hurt yourself more than you are, even if you are clumsy."

Rolling my eyes at him, I said: "Way to ruin the moment..." His deep and older laugh rang through the park, making me smile. I always liked his laugh. It made him seem more alive. It made _me_ feel alive ever so slightly. "I just really don't want you to be forced to talk to me... because of the imprint."

"Well look, I'll try and forget that you're my imprint and we can start over again. What do you say?"

"I don't think it's that easy Jake."

"Oh, it's working more than you know. You're relaxing around me. You just called me Jake, which you've never done before. It was always my name and nothing more or nothing less. And you haven't cringed or flinched when I touched you lately, which means we're making a lot of progress so far. And that happened when you didn't know I imprinted on you," Jacob said, looking me in the eyes. He did have a point there. It was easy to be around him... carefree. Jacob placed his fingers softly against the top of my hand and I simply looked at it, his tanned hand on top of mine. And I didn't flinch, like he said. "See? I can touch you now without having you worry and cringe away from me."

"That's because I like your touch. I know I'm safe with you..." I said, looking him in the eyes. I could get lost in those brown eyes of his... They felt safe and warm, just like him. Everything about him invited me in; his scruffy but soft voice, his face... young but otherwise very attractive, his smell... always smelling like home. It made me want to be closer to him, always. "Everything you've done for me, it was all to help me, to make me feel safe and at home, like before I was kidnapped. And I like that. I _love_ that. And right now, there's nothing I want more than to feel safe. And you provide that for me. Just by being close to me..."

"So I affect you?" He said, raising an eyebrow in a goofy way, which made me laugh. Jacob smiled at my laugh and seemed to light up even more, his own personal sun getting stronger as he smiled. "I knew it."

"Oh don't get too full of yourself. Your ego will grow and no one will be able to deflate it," I said with a grin on my face. In any situation, he could make me smile. Just like now. The atmosphere around us was becoming sad and so, Jacob made it better, happier.

"Oh, I'm not worried about my ego. I know it'll get bigger but I like it big." He grinned and we both laughed happily. In my mind, I could see myself with Jacob later on... happy to have him near me, imprint or not. But could it work? Could a friendship between the two of us work? Would it become something else later on? "But to get serious again, Bella, I don't want you to feel that I'm not being serious about wanting to be with you. I don't want you to think that this imprint thing is taking over my life and my choices because it's not. Really. My choice to be with you is of my own will. I like you Bella. I'm not gonna hide that fact any longer."

"I... I like you too Jake. And I want to know more about you, about who you truly are," I answered honestly. "But I don't think I'm ready for anything at the moment and I don't want to lose you as my friend because of this."

"You won't Bella. I'll always be here, no matter what. So, for now, let's just stay friends and you let me know when you're ready. I'll be waiting patiently," Jacob said with a soft smile as he rubbed soft circles onto my hand. I wanted to hug him... but I knew that I was not ready for that just yet. So, I turned his hand around and squeezed his hand reassuringly, smiling warmly at him.

"Thank you Jacob," I said, looking deep in his eyes and finding happiness.

Nodding, Jacob looked at the sky and looked back at me. "Come on, let's get you back to my house. I'll drive you to Emily's." Jacob stood up, extended his hand—which I took without any hesitation—and helped me stand, placing my crutches under my armpits and helped me limp next to him for a few seconds before we were both walking towards his house.

"Will you come see me tomorrow?" I asked as his house came into view.

Jacob smiled and nodded. "Sure. I haven't missed a day so far since Sam told me I could see you so why not? Although you know that I could be called away at any time right? Sam's kind of annoying that way."

Another laugh came from my throat and a laugh came from my throat. "I can live with that," was my simple answer as we entered the house and went directly to Jacob's garage behind the house.

At least I would see him tomorrow. He would be next to me, make me feel whole.

**So what did you think? Did you like how Jacob and Bella both feel about one another? Let me know in some reviews please. **

**Bellacullenswan17**

6


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